Scyld has released the Scyld Beowulf Scalable Computing Software.Scyld Beowulf is the next generation Beowulf clustering operating system.It features simplified cluster integration and setup, minimal and easy system administration, increased reliability, and seamless cluster scalability.In addition to its technical advances, the Scyld Beowulf system provides a stable, standard, supported platform for the deployment of advanced clustering applications.

The Scyld Beowulf software is a clustering operating system.It includes an enhanced Linux kernel, libraries, and utilities specifically designed for clustering.Don Becker, Scyld's CTO and founder, along with other members of the original Beowulf development team have been developing and testing the Scyld Beowulf software over the past two years.

Scyld Beowulf provides a single system image for Beowulf cluster process management (BProc).It makes all the processes running on remote nodes visible and manageable on the front end.Process parent-child relationships and UNIX job control are supported regardless of where a process is running.Cluster slave nodes are not required to contain resident applications (their hard disks are used essentially for cache) virtually eliminating the risk of version skew.All cluster node processes are started on the front-end computer. The executing software can then migrate to any cluster node.

The operating system on each cluster node is downloaded from the front-end computer (i.e. It is not installed in non-volatile storage on the cluster node).Only a minimal boot image on either a floppy, a CD, or the cluster node's hard disk is required for each cluster node.All node configuration can be executed from the front-end.This allows painless software integration and setup, removes the need to go from cluster node tonode manually installing an operating system, permits machines to be added to the cluster quickly and easily(even while the cluster is

running), eliminates software version skew, and enables updating to a new kernel quickly, painlessly, and safely.

All cluster node softwareinstallation and configuration is also done via the cluster front-end computer.Scyld Beowulf installation is as easy as loading Linux onto a single PC.Only a minimal boot image on either a floppy or CD is required for each cluster node.The Scyld Beowulf installer is based on the Red Hat 6.2 installation including both a text and GUI based install.

The software is scalable to specific needs and will support clusters ranging in size from 2 to over 500 computers.

Scyld shares its software innovations with the open source community under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

The CD-ROM is a bootable cluster front-end installation disk.The CD-ROM can also be used as cluster node boot media.

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The Scyld Beowulf software provides the capability to start, observe, and control processes on cluster nodes from the cluster's front end computer using standard Linux interfaces or via GUI tools.

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Scyld Beowulf's cluster process control, BProc, decreases time to start processes remotely, provides more insight into job and cluster performance, and allows for simplified system administration.

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All cluster node softwareinstallation and configuration is also done via the cluster front-end computer.Scyld Beowulf installation is as easy as loading Linux onto a single PC.The Scyld Beowulf installer is based on the Red Hat 6.2 installation including both a text and GUI based install.

Scyld Beowulf features Large File Summit (LFS) support via Scyld's Linux kernel updates and GNU C library which support 64 bit file access on the ext2 filesystem.Scyld Beowulf also includes utilities modified to take advantage this.(Basic text utilities, scp, ftp client and server).

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Scyld Beowulf ships with a customized version of the popular MPICH message passing library.This version is modified to take advantage of the unique process creation and mangement facilities provided by BProc which makes running MPI applications easier than before.

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Scyld Beowulf includes MPI-enabled linear algebra libraries and demo applications which show how to take advantage of a Beowulf using MPI.